Ah the Daytona 500! The official start of the NASCAR season! Vrrrroooooooooom! Yeah Baby!

(Did you believe my excitement? Should I try harder?) Vrrrooom Vroooom!Put the Petal to the Metal for Enhanced Reading Experience!

I do not get this “sport” (go ahead, yell at me for the quotation marks). I am not going to pretend to get it. I do no understand how watching cars go in circles for like 500 laps is even remotely exciting. But I’m going to try to learn. Hey, if Danica Patrick, who is so super pretty, thinks this is fun and cool, well, damnit, so can I.

I was also just informed that Danica does not drive NASCAR, she drives INDY CAR. As does DWTS winner Helio Castranevos. Apparently there is a difference. And a big one. To me, they are all cars going in circles. Although I would never dare say anything like this anywhere in public around here because I’m in Florida. This is NASCAR country. And racing fans are scary.

So anyway, I wanted to learn more about this weird boring strange fascinating sport but there is one really huge problem.

No one has a damn clue why this is fun to watch–they just say that it is. Maybe the fans are just so devoted and so in love that they can’t possibly explain the depth of the emotions? I’ve spent hours looking and the most I could find is “look in a car magazine and pick a driver. Once you do that, you’ll understand.”

Okay…… but why would I want to do that in the first place?

People told me this about baseball and before last September I thought they were all insane because baseball bored me to tears. Now I can not wait for Spring Training. If I can enjoy baseball, I’m sure I can find a way to be enthralled by car racing.

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10. If you can sit through this, you can totally sit through Movies with Car Chase Scenes

Like…. The Italian Job with Mark Wahlberg! Yum!

9. The Super Bowl of NASCAR is at the beginning of the season

The Daytona 500 is considered the Super Bowl of the auto racing world, and it is the kickoff event of the seaons. So, in theory, once it’s done, you have done your part and can tune out the rest of the season! (*sigh* however, the Championship Series actually lasts like 36 races before someone wins the Cup)

8. The Car Crashes = Free Defensive Driving Lesson

Most people put the car crashes a lot higher on their list but I have to say, as thrilling and heart-stopping as they can be, I am not advocating them. Car crashes are far too serious in my world to think of them as spectator sports. But I was told that I can not have Top Reasons to Watch Auto Racing list without putting crashes on it. So here it is. Boom. Wow.

So instead I am watching the amazing skill it takes not to have a crash and taking notes. If you ever have to drive on I-75 in Florida during old people season, you understand the importance of good defensive driving skills.

7. “Boogity Boogity Boogity, let’s go racing Boys!”

Darrell Waltrip coined the expression when he retired from NASCAR in 2000 and became an announcer. He got bored with starting races saying “green green green.” And “Boogity Boogity Boogity” swept the fans. That’s even better than “Let’s Play Ball” or “Are you Ready for some Football!”

6. “Save the NASCAR Image” is a totally worthy cause!

Track Couture Fan Wear

You should do your part to prove that you don’t have to be a redneck to watch car racing. For years, you were required to rock the mullet with some high-rise too-tight jeans to even be allowed to watch a race. But not anymore! Unfortunately, there are still some that stick to the official fanwear. You can help! Show them the path to new hot fan gear and how to be a fashionable fan!

Track Couture is a fantastic website dedicated to female-friendly fan wear that is super cute! Support your fave driver, NASCAR or Auto Racing in general and still look adorable!

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5. The Hunt for the Perfect Mullet

Until #6 Changes the World, we get to partake in The Mullet Hunt. And there is no better place for mullet spotting than in Florida Auto Races. Nascar 101: How to Mullet Hunt & Survive was the funniest and best NASCAR blog I read during my research. Talks all about the rules and details of how to really enjoy the sport!

The two best mullets I’ve ever come across was when I was working retail in Florida. The first was a jheri-curled mullet which I haven’t seen since A.C. Slater on Saved by The Bell. This inspired us to be on Mullet Alert, with a camera always near by. We did try to capture one on film unsuccessfully. It was a “horse-tail” mullet. Meaning….a mullet complete with 80’s rat-tail but the rat tail was so thick it was more like a horse tail! Disturbed aren’t you?

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4. This Guy:

I don’t even care who he is. That is enough reason to convince me I am missing something important in this racing world thing. His name is Carl Edwards and….. wow, everytime I try to write more, I drool on myself and forget my train of thought. Sorry! For more about him, here is some stuff at Yahoo Sports. Because I have no clue if those stats are good or not. Except his b’day stat! His birthday is August 15, 1979–12 days before mine! Proving once again, August Babies are HOT!

3. You get to try to pick between Jeff Gordan and Dale Earhardt, Jr

Unfortunately, you can’t have both. I’m not exactly sure why. It’s kinda like the Red Sox/Yankees rivarly. You are only allowed to have one favorite. And the fans get really crazy. You either love them or HATE them. With a passion that involves throughing beer cans at the television…..

I really don’t know how to choose. It’s like asking me to pick between Manolo’s & Choos. Or cheese and chocolate. Can’t do it!

2.NASCAR Barbies!

I am totally a Barbie girl at heart so if she supports it, who am I to criticize? But, how come she can support both Jeff and Dale?

And finally, the number one reason:

Super Hot & Really Unique, NASCAR Shoes!

Totally love them! Sold! Consider me a fan of NASCAR!

About the author: Jennifer Taglione is the owner of this fabulous website Stiletto Sports. Despite writing well over 500 posts, she still maintains that she is not a sports writer! She is however a huge fan of Kurt Warner, Larry Fitzgerald, Mark Sanchez, the Celtics, and totally kicks butt on March Madness brackets! Connect with her by following her on Twitter @StilettoSportsJ and subscribing to her weekly newsletter. For more info check out the About the Editor page!

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4 Responses

CJ Flores Said,

Very cool! Being an avid NASCAR nut & a huge Carl Edwards fan, this was awesome…especially #4!!! 🙂
I am a female living in the very non-NASCAR area of New England, so all my
friends that just “don’t get it”, I can share this with them!
Thanks!

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